Hamza most likely to secure an ‘easy win’

The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to re-count the votes of the recent Punjab chief minister election will in all probability provide an easy win for provincial chief Hamza Shehbaz who would most likely secure an easy win in the second round of polls for the slot.

The PML-N sits in a comfortable position in the Punjab Assembly, with a majority of around nine votes. The PTI and their ally PML-Q, who do not have any real fighting chance in the upcoming Punjab CM election, have decided to approach the Supreme Court against the decision and reportedly announced boycotting the polls.

Hamza, on the other hand, will continue to hold his office as the LHC has instructed the presiding officer to recount Punjab CM votes subtracting 25 those of PTI defectors on Friday and later proceed to the second round of elections.

The LHC decision of the vote re-count was wrongly interpreted in the first place as some people thought that the Punjab CM election had been declared null and void and Hamza disqualified. They further believed that Usman Buzdar had become Punjab’s caretaker CM again.

The court’s decision was hailed as PTI’s success by its leaders. Mian Mehmoodur Rashid said the verdict called for celebration as Hamza was no more the CM.

However, after careful reading of the order, the PTI leaders and many others came to know that the provincial government was still intact, and so were the chief minister and his cabinet.The court in its decision had only ordered the re-counting of votes sans 25 disqualified PTI parliamentarians. Even with the facts available before the court, it was evident that Hamza did not have simple majority. The court, however, abstained from assuming the role of presiding officer and ordered recount of the votes cast on July 1 (today).

Read ‘PPP stands firmly behind Hamza’

It will be after the re-count that Hamza would stand disqualified, which would automatically absolve his cabinet. However, it will only serve as a small niggle for the ruling party, as the court had ordered the complete election process on Friday, which means a second round of polls would be held immediately after, wherein Hamza would easily secure a majority.

PTI candidate and incumbent Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudary Pervez Elahi would have had a fighting chance and the Punjab CM election would be re-ordered if the former ruling party was given their five reserved seats immediately after the disqualification of its 25 reneging members.

In this situation, the PTI and the PML-N would have 172 seats each in the provincial assembly. As of now, the PML-N has around 177 votes, with around 165 votes of its own, seven PPPP’s, four independents and one of Rah-e-Haq party.

During the last voting, the PML-N had strength of around 161 lawmakers. Three MPAs who had their membership revoked by the PML-N rejoined the party folds earlier this month while one legislator who was out at the time is now present.

The PTI, on the other hand, had a total strength of 158, which with 10 PML-Q votes brought their vote count to 168. If the five reserved seats were added to it, the former ruling party would have had 173 votes. But deputy speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari was unlikely to cast his vote in the party’s favour due to which their total number of votes was down to 172.

Read PTI to approach SC against LHC's Hamza Shahbaz ruling

The PML-N, on the other hand, too had around the same number of votes at the time as three disgruntled members had not joined the party. But now with the reserved seat issue unresolved and the PML-N consolidating its position further, PTI does not have any real winning chances. Hamza had around 177 votes against Elahi’s 167.

The PML-N immediately after the decision swung into action, ensuring their number game remained intact. The party had ordered their members to check into a hotel where they had been staying prior to last Punjab CM elections.

Hamza had called a parliamentary meeting of all parties at the hotel while Premier Shehbaz Sharif called his son to enquire about the political situation in the province.

MPA Uzma Qadri who had not voted for Hamza said she had to travel due to unavoidable circumstances during the last elections. After arriving back, she said the three disgruntled members were also back and were with the party.

MPA Molvi Abu Hafas, who along with four other MPAs had formed a block against the party leadership but after CM Punjab election patched up the matters, said he was with the party but was not called to checked in any hotel, nor was he aware about any meeting.

PPP, on the other hand, too has called their own parliamentary meeting on Friday (today) to chalk out their strategy.

Hamza in a statement said he had always respected the verdict of the judiciary and would continue do so. He maintained that the ongoing constitutional crisis for the last three months in Punjab would be done away with the court’s judgment.
He hoped that the effects of the judgment would be positive for the people of Punjab.